Speedboat, Big Boat, Catamaran or Longtail: Phuket Boat Tours
By the PhuketGO tour desk on Phuket — we book and run these trips every week · Updated 13 October 2026
Most island tours from Phuket go by speedboat — fast and bumpy. The classic Similan day goes on a big boat, slower and steadier. Then there is the catamaran, the longtail inside Phang Nga Bay and your own jet ski, and the boat changes the day as much as the islands do.
Tours and prices in Thai baht
| Tour | Duration | Adult | Child 4–9 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Similan islands: the classic day trip | About twelve hours | 2,600 ฿ | 2,400 ฿ |
| Similan islands, early departure | One day, 04:00–17:00 | 2,800 ฿ | 2,500 ฿ |
| Phi Phi, Maya Bay and Khai island by speedboat | One day | 2,000 ฿ | 1,800 ฿ |
| Racha and Coral islands by speedboat | Eight to nine hours | 1,400 ฿ | 1,300 ฿ |
| Phi Phi and Racha Yai by catamaran, with a sunset stop at Maiton | One day, 06:30–19:00 | 2,700 ฿ | 2,500 ฿ |
| James Bond island and Phang Nga Bay | Eight to nine hours | 2,000 ฿ | 1,800 ฿ |
| Jet ski tour: nine islands in four hours | Four hours, 09:00–12:45 | 7,900 ฿ | 7,900 ฿ |
| Coral island from Rawai pier | Half a day, 08:30–14:00 | 1,400 ฿ | 1,300 ฿ |
Prices come straight from our booking system. Children under four join free on most trips — each tour page says so.
Which of your tours use a speedboat?
Most of them. Phi Phi with Khai, Phi Phi with Bamboo and fishing, Phi Phi at sunrise, Racha and Coral, Racha at sunrise, the early Similan boat, Five pearls. Crossings are short-ish: about forty minutes from Chalong to Racha Yai, about an hour to the first Phi Phi stop. If the classic Khai island speedboat is the one you're eyeing, is the Phi Phi, Maya Bay and Khai speedboat worth it covers the bumpy part honestly. The Racha speedboat crosses from Chalong in about forty minutes; what you do there with a mask is on Racha or Coral for snorkelling. Two days of speedboat stops with a night in between is the subject of is the Five Pearls two-day tour worth it. The Krabi four islands day is a speedboat day too, set out on Krabi islands by speedboat from Phuket.
And yes, it bounces on open sea. Our sunrise card says no for pregnancy and bad backs; the Racha and Coral card tells you to take something beforehand if you get seasick. What you get back is more islands in a day and less time getting there.
Where you sit matters. Towards the back the bounce is softer; right at the front you feel every wave. Ask the crew to seat anyone who gets queasy near the stern. Where the snorkelling is easiest on those speedboat days is compared on Khai island or Racha Yai for snorkelling.
When is a big boat better?
Where it is used: Similan islands, the classic day trip, from Tablamu pier. The card describes a steadier ride, more deck to move around on and a slower pace through the day, with breakfast and a Thai buffet served on board. Against the faster early speedboat to the same islands, the trade-off is set out on is the early bird Similan tour worth the extra cost.
It suits people who dislike speedboats and want to spend the crossing sitting comfortably rather than holding on. The trade-off is a slower schedule: four islands in the day rather than the early boat's quicker run ahead of the main groups.
Breakfast and lunch are served on board, so the only thing to organise is a warm layer for the crossing. How to book either Similan day is on how to book a Similan islands tour.
Is there a catamaran tour?
Where it is used: Phi Phi and Racha Yai with a sunset stop at Maiton. The two-deck catamaran has a water slide, an inflatable pool, SUP boards, clear canoes, a jumping platform, a bar and music, so the boat is part of the day rather than transport between islands.
It leaves at 08:30 after breakfast at the pier and is back at 19:00, and runs in the Comfort+ format only.
It starts at Racha Yai while the beach is empty, spends lunchtime on Phi Phi Don, reaches Maya Bay between 16:00 and 17:00 and stops on the water beside Maiton island for the sunset, with cocktails and fruit. Whether the extra over a speedboat pays off depends on your plans; we weigh it in Phi Phi and Racha Yai catamaran: is it worth it?. Which boat to take for Racha Yai and Coral island in particular is covered on Racha and Coral islands: speedboat or catamaran.
What about a longtail or a jet ski?
The traditional longtail boat is how you move inside Phang Nga Bay on the James Bond island day, and on the skywalk sunrise trip through the caves and islands of the bay. The water there is sheltered, so the ride is calm; on the James Bond day the longtail is combined with a sea kayak paddled by a guide. If James Bond island is why you are asking, our speedboat or longtail comparison sets the calm longtail day against the long speedboat run. Whether that calm longtail day is worth the long drive is weighed on is the James Bond island tour worth it.
On the jet ski tour you drive your own machine for four hours around nine islands north-east of Phuket, from AA Marina pier at 09:00. The minimum age to drive is 18, and there is a handling briefing before you start. What beginners need to know, from the licence question to per-machine pricing, is on can beginners do the jet ski island tour. On the longtail day a boatman paddles your kayak and the park fee is already paid; details on canoeing and park fees on a James Bond tour.
- Most islands in one day — speedboat
- Steadier ride, more deck space — big boat, classic Similans
- The boat as entertainment — catamaran
- Calm water and cliffs — longtail in Phang Nga Bay
- Drive it yourself — jet ski tour
What comfort extras come on board?
Several speedboat trips run in the Comfort+ format, which changes the boat more than the route. On Racha at sunrise and the early Similan boat that means Wi-Fi on board, towels and disposable mouthpieces, beer at the pier in the morning and wine and ice cream on return; Five pearls adds front boarding on the speedboat and music on board.
The big boat on the classic Similan day serves breakfast after departure and a Thai buffet of chicken, fish, vegetables, rice and fruit, with water and coffee. The catamaran has a bar, towels on board, Wi-Fi, personal snorkel mouthpieces and a bamboo cup to keep, with ice cream on return to the pier. Whether that twelve-hour Similan day pays off is weighed on are the Similan Islands worth the long trip. The classic Similan big boat leaves from Tablamu near Khao Lak; Similan Islands from Phuket or Khao Lak compares the two starting points.
Which boat suits my group?
With someone prone to seasickness, choose the longtail in Phang Nga Bay or the big boat to the Similans, and give motion-sickness medicine before boarding. With small children, choose short speedboat crossings such as Coral island from Rawai, thirty minutes each way. The jet ski route reaches Rang Yai island at 12:15, the beach stop before the mangroves.
Booking happens in the chat; tell us about seasickness, pregnancy or back problems when you write, and we suggest the boat to match. Booking it is covered on how to book the Phi Phi and Racha Yai catamaran. For a boat just for your group, see private tours from Phuket. Which trips the cards rule out in pregnancy is on can I join a Phuket boat tour while pregnant. Mention seasickness when you book and we suggest the boat; how booking works covers what else to send. Driving yourself is the other way to see the islands: is the jet ski island tour worth it weighs the price per machine against a speedboat day. For the dawn departures, the gentlest sunrise tour if you get seasick compares the Skywalk, Racha Yai and Phi Phi runs.
The tours on this page
Questions people ask
Is a speedboat or a big boat better for the Similans?
The big boat is steadier with more deck space; the early speedboat reaches the islands ahead of the main groups. Choose comfort or timing.
Are speedboat tours bumpy?
They can be on open sea. Several of our cards advise against speedboat trips during pregnancy or with back problems.
Which boat tour is best for seasickness?
A longtail in Phang Nga Bay on the James Bond island day, where the water is sheltered, or the big boat to the Similans.
Is there a catamaran tour from Phuket?
Yes. Phi Phi and Racha Yai by catamaran, with a slide, pool, SUP boards and a sunset stop at Maiton. It runs in the Comfort+ format.
Do I need a licence for the jet ski tour?
The minimum age to drive is 18, and you get a handling briefing before you start. Ask in the chat about any other requirement before booking.
Which boat trip is shortest?
Coral island from Rawai: thirty minutes each way, back at the pier by 14:00. The jet ski tour takes four hours.
Is a speedboat or big boat better for Phang Nga Bay?
On our James Bond island day, neither: the road takes you to the pier, then a longtail crosses the sheltered bay and a boatman paddles you through the sea caves by kayak. A speedboat goes into Phang Nga Bay on our Five Pearls two-day trip.
Which Phang Nga Bay tours use a big boat or catamaran?
Our James Bond island day moves around the bay by longtail, with kayaks paddled by local boatmen, and the two-day pearls trips cross it by speedboat. A big-boat programme to James Bond island also exists: ask in the chat if that's the one you want. Our catamaran days go to Racha Yai and Phi Phi, not into Phang Nga Bay.
Tell us your dates
Send the trip you like, your dates and your hotel. We confirm the pickup time and how the sea looks for that day. Payment is agreed in the chat after the booking is confirmed: by card, bank transfer or USDT.